In a statement issued Saturday, the governor called June 28, 1969 a “historic turning point” – a day when LGBT citizens in New York City resisted police harassment stemming from discriminatory laws during the Stonewall Riots.

He noted that “California has been a leader in advancing the rights of its LGBT citizens”, including a San Francisco federal appeals court’s February ruling that found Prop 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage, unconstitutional.

The governor also lauded President Barack Obama’s recent statements in support of same-sex couples’ right to marry.

“While further progress is needed, it is proper and important to recognize and celebrate the substantial and important gains that have been achieved,” Brown said in his statement.

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